Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	aaron_n	altar_n	brazen_a	85	3	11.4877	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13530	Christs combate and conquest: or, The lyon of the tribe of Iudah vanquishing the roaring lyon, assaulting him in three most fierce and hellish temptations. Expounded, and now (at the request of sundry persons) published for the common good, by Tho. Taylor, preacher of the word of God, at Reeding in Barkeshire; Christs combate and conquest.	Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.	1618 (1618)	STC 23822; ESTC S105331	393,043	443

of his house did he not warne him of his sinne and beare him most patiently Yet his heart beeing vpon couetousnesse for a small commodity he will betray Christ and that against his conscience 5. Other personall and priuate occasions may force men of great gifts to maligne and hate against their consciences most innocent persons The Iewes knewe that Christ was the Messiah that hee was most powerfull in doctrine and most holy in his life yet they loued their owne praise and therefore thrust downe Christ If wee let him alone all will beleeue in him They thought themselues so much dishonoured as Christ was honoured Sometimes feare of great men or some losse or checke may cause this obstinate opposition Pilate knew Christ was an innocent man he washed his hands and would haue no hand against him he pronounced him innocent saying I finde no fault in him his wife beeing troubled in a dreame sent him word he should haue nothing to doe against that iust man Yet against his conscience and his owne words he proceeded to condemne him Why how could hee be so blind and wicked surely it was feare of Caesar and of some checke for hee had heard them say If thou let this man goe thou art not Caesars friend It should teach vs to goe on vndaunted in our godly course making no accoūt of al the malice that the deuil or his instrumēts can create vs and neuer offer to shake hands with them we shall neuer haue done if we goe about to please them we can not doe it vnlesse we wil be as bad as they if we retaine our sauour of goodnesse it doth but prouoke them Many men may hence see what spirit rules them who when they heare Scripture against their sinnes and vnwarrantable courses they goe on still as a chafed colt that cares neither for pale nor hedge but flings ouer These men would be loath to be compared to the deuill but we shall see them farre worse and the deuill not so bad as many of them When he heares Christ alledge Scripture he saith nothing against it but was silent he replyes not and much lesse railes on him as a phantasticall or precise person But reprooue the swearer the drunkard the gamester the vniust courses of men in their trades Sabbath-breaking in Masters or seruants and doe it out of the Scriptures as Christ did wee shall haue the same measure that he had returned from the Scribes and Pharisies who rayled out-right on him He is too precise and seuere we can doe nothing for him or What hath he to doe with our gouernement or trades or He might finde other things to speake of Thus if Paul speake against Diana or whatsoeuer the crafts-masters liue by all the citie is in an vproare against him It seemes men are loath in their callings to meddle with the word of God or the directions of it else we should haue to deale with them It were too much to sit downe silent and goe on in sinne against the word but to resist the word in termes or to raile vpon the Preachers thereof goes one step beyond the deuill Take knowledge of the secret working of the deuil against the light and truth in such as spurne against it They cannot abide that truth and innocencie should acquit it selfe but though they see nothing but meekenesse patience and innocencie yet will side against it as though they had the greatest aduantage and occasion What is the cause that men will take part with most abiect and base persons and bring the curse on themselues in condemning the innocent and iustifying the wicked in their horrible riots and misbehauiour but the hatred they carie against goodnes Why did the Iewes band themselues for Barrabas and seek to acquit him was it because there was any cause of loue in him knew they him not to be a murtherer and a rebell Yes It was hatred of Christ that made them sticke to him why hated they Christ but because he was the light Some there be of that Iewish generation left to whom if Christ be weighed with Barrabas he will seeme too light Barrabas shall carrie the credit and defence from him Not him but Barrabas Into the holy Citie We come to the second circumstance in the preparation to this second assault which is the place that Satan chooseth set downe 1. in generall the holy citie 2. in speciall a pinacle of the Temple What holy Citie this was Luke expresseth c. 4.9 He brought him to Ierusalem here called the holy Citie Ierusalem is called the holy citie not because of any holinesse in the place for no place as a place is more holy then other It is true that we read in Scripture of holy ground as Exod. 3.5 mount Horeb where Moses stood is called holy ground and Moses must put off his shooes But this was no inherent holinesse in the place onely for the present the presence of God appearing after a speciall manner makes a speciall holinesse to bee ascribed vnto it Neither is it called holy in respect of the people and inhabitants for the faithfull citie was long before this become an harlot Isa. 1.21 and Christ not long after this combate cryeth out against Ierusalem That she had killed the Prophets and slaine such as were sent vnto her and proclaimeth a speedie desolation against her But it was so called 1. Because God had made choice of this city to put his name there 2. Chron. 7.12 I haue chosen this place for my selfe Hence was it called the Citie of God and Gods holy mountaine Dan. 9.16 and the holy hill of Sion because God had chosen it and sanctified it for himselfe wherein himselfe kept residence and made it eminent aboue all the places of the earth 2. Because of the holy things which were there established euen all the holy worshippe of God it was not lawfull for the Iewes to sacrifice or eate the Passeouer any where but in Ierusalem There was the Temple built on mount Moriah wherein I. There was the Sanctum seculare the vtter court of the Iewes and Salomons porch which did rise vp by 14. staires wherein Christ preached often and Peter healed the lame man Act. 3.3 and probably where Peter conuerted 3000. soules at one sermon In this porch was the great brasen altar for whole burnt offrings on which altar the fire which at Aarons first offring in the wildernes fell from heauen Leuit. 9.22.24 was to be kept perpetually before the Lord the which when Aarons sonnes neglected and offred with strange fire they were burnt with fire before the Lord. In this court was the great brasen sea wherein the Priests washed themselues and the beasts to be offered on that altar especially their feet because they were to minister barefoot before the Lord. Both of them holy representations of Christ the former of his sacrifice who gaue himselfe for a whole burnt offering the latter of the fruit of it he beeing

be filled namely aboue the ordinary measure But neuer was any Saint so filled but that he had great emptines and much roome for Satan to frame and forge his temptations in When God doth bring his children into the wildernesse that is into temptation he armeth them with sufficient power to withstand it 2. Cor. 12.8 when Paul was vexed with an extraordinarie temptation he prayed thrice or often and answer was giuen My grace is sufficient for thee where by grace is not meant the free fauour of God as in many places but the power and strength of the Holy Spirit which was a gift of grace enabling him to stand vnder it And this is that which Gods children may expect not to be exempted from temptation nor from much molestation nor from many knocks and foiles which bring them much sorrow but yet at length God whose hand is vnder them brings them through all For so it is in 1. Cor. 10.13 God is faithfull and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that ye are able but with euery temptation will giue an issue In which place the Apostle distinguisheth of temptations Some are so deadly and diabolicall as a man is drowned and neuer swimmes out of them these we must pray against Lead vs not into temptation Others rise of humane imbecillity and are such as men can beare by which God tryeth the graces of his and manifesteth their infirmity and out of which his grace giueth euasion and deliuerance seeme they neuer so dangerous as for example what a great temptation was that of Israel in the red sea yet God brought them out of it So for euill of sinne What strong temptations were they that seased on Peter Dauid Salomon wherein they seemed vtterly lost Yet the Lord held vnder his hand and left them sufficient grace to raise them againe Gods faithfulnes was such to Dauid and Salomon and Christs prayer that Peters faith did not vtterly faile 1. We are the Lords souldiers and seruants and therefore he will helpe vs Dauid thought this a good argument Psal. 86.2 O thou my God saue thy seruant that trusteth in thee And this is Gods manner of dealing When he hath a great worke or triall for his children he armes them with boldnes constancie and courage as Sampson when he was to encounter many Philistims what a measure of strength was he endued withal When the Prophets were to be sent to rebellious and stubborne people the Lord made their faces as brasen walls Ierem. 1.18 and as adamants Ezek. 3.9 The Apostles beeing called to the great function of calling in the whole world the Holy Ghost fell first vpon them furnished them with singular gifts fit for that calling How boldly Peter preached and professed Christ at Ierusalem to the beards of those that had put him to death euen the Rulers and Elders appeares in Act. 4.8 but the cause of this was that hee was full of the Holy Ghost The like we may obserue in Elias his reforming of Gods worship and in the restoring of religion by Luther who was wonderfully gifted 1. with vndaunted courage as appeares in his burning the Popes decrees and his disputation at Wormes 2. with feruent prayer 3. with admirable and heauenly preaching So the faithfull witnesses and Martyrs that are called to a hote brunt are first armed with a singular spirit as that Protomartyr Steuen Act. 6.8.10 who was full of the Holy Ghost full of faith and power full of wisedome and grace that they were not able to resist the wisedome and spirit by which he spake And was it not so in Q Maries daies that poore creatures were lifted vp with such excellent spirits as that all the learning and wisedome of the Doctors or all the power of authoritie could not daunt them but onely those vnmercifull arguments of fire and faggot could put them to silence 2. The battell and cause is Gods the question between Satan and vs is Gods glory and our saluation This was Moses his argument why the Lord should spare his murmuring people see Num. 14.15.16 Now if the deuill preuaile against vs God shall loose his honour which is deare vnto him But he will not suffer himselfe to be so disgraced as to let vs be ouercome by his enemie neither shall the saluation of his be preiudiced for this were against the truth of God whom Satan accuseth to be a lyar 3. He hath armed vs with his owne armour and furnished vs with his owne strength and will not haue his weapons bee thought so weake and insufficient as to be foiled in it the sword of the Spirit is not so blunt the sheild of faith is not so dull the breast-plate of righteousnesse is not so thinne as to receiue euery bullet that comes to hurt vs. 4. Christ hath made vs members of his owne body and when the head can with patience suffer the members which it is able to defend to be pulled off from the body then shall the sound members of Christ be pulled away by temptation from him which they must needes be if they were not continually supported by his strength Obiect 2. Cor. 1.8 We were pressed out of measure passing strength insomuch that we despaired euen of life Answ. 1. The Apostle speakes of humane strength which could neuer haue passed through those trialls but the power and strength of God shewed them an issue 2. The Apostle speakes according to the sence of his flesh and what they were in their owne feeling as it is plaine in the reason of his deliuerance in the next words That we should not trust in our selues but in God that raiseth the dead 3. The very scope of the place is to shew not the vnmeasurablenesse of affliction but a great measure of them thereby to amplifie Gods mercy Vse We should not be discouraged though our trialls be very great for we shall not want sufficient strength to carrie vs through them Yea let vs checke our weaknes while we torment our selues with needles feares that God takes little or no knowledge of our trialls or will withdraw his grace and absent himselfe for euer No he tenders the weakenes of his chosen on whom although the Spirit fall not so visibly as vpon Christ yet by vertue hereof they haue the secret distilling and sensible yea forcible working of the Spirit in their hearts such graces of faith hope patience and boldnes in case they keepe their watch as whereby they may as surely perswade themselues of victory as if they had receiued the Holy Ghost visibly as Christ did Adde hereunto these considerations 1. That it is impossible to be exalted to Christs kingdome if thou be not assalted first with temptation thou canst not be victorious vnlesse thou fight nor obteine the crowne vnlesse thou be victorious Reu. 3.21 2. That if thou beest in great perplexity yet thinke not the Lord hath forsaken thee For 1. not to be chastised of God

He hateth the word of God because it is the greatest enemie to his Kingdome euery way resembling God the author and carrying his image It is light and no maruell if the Prince of darkenes resist it it discouers his subtilties and fenceth the Christian against his pollicies it discerneth spirits that let him come as an Angel of light he shall be vncased As he preuaileth in darknes so he worketh in impuritie now here the word resembling God himselfe crosseth him it is pure in it selfe and a purifyer as Christ saith Yee are cleane by my word Further his cheife power beeing in the sonnes of disobedience and in the hearts of infidels here also the word clips his wings beeing the word of faith and Ioh. 17.20 Christ prayed not onely for his disciples but for all those that should beleeue in him by their word In a word seeing he exerciseth his cheife power in the sonnes of perdition who are giuen him to rule at his will here the word is his enemie because it conuerteth sinners and saueth soules called therefore a word of saluation 3. Hee opposeth Gods word through the malice he beareth Gods children for he euer opposed true professors casts them into prison and would neuer let them haue a good day in the world if he might haue his wil and followes them with temptations and with outward afflictions But this is the sword of Gods mouth and the sword of the spirit by which they cut through his temptations and make them forcelesse it is that which comforts them and sustaines them in their troubles and directs them happily to heauen so as no way he can haue his will of them 4. It stands him in hand to oppose Gods word for his long experience hath taught him that so long as men hold to the word they be safe enough vnder Gods protection and hee could neuer winne his captaine-sinners to such high attempts in sinne were it not that he had first shaken the truth of Gods word out of their hearts How could he haue brought Pharaoh to such obstinacy against God and his people as to say Who is the Lord and I will not let Israel goe but that he had brought the word in Moses and Aarons mouth into contempt further then the sting of the miracles forced him When Saul had once cast off the word of the Lord Satan lead him as in a chaine to hunt Dauid to throwe a dart at Ionathan to seeke to the Witch against whom himselfe had enacted a seuere law The like of Ahab Herod Nero Domitian c. 5. The word of God is the sentence and rule of righteousnes which condemneth Satan and therefore no maruell if he cannot endure it and wish it false and loue it no better then the bill of his owne condemnation and death eternall It is a note of a man foyled by the temptation of Satan and of a deuillish spirit to call Gods word into question either to deny it as false or doubt of it as vncertaine either of which if Satan can perswade vnto he hath his wish for he knowes they are no subiects to God that will not acknowledge his scepter but doubt of the rod of his mouth he can easily blindfold them and lead them whether he will that denie the light he can easily vanquish them and lead them captiue to all sinne if he can get them to cast away their weapons Yet what a number of men hath the deuill thus farre preuailed with in this violent kind of temptation Some call in question whether the Scripture be the word of God or no swarmes of Atheists and Macheuillians that hold the word but an humane deuise and policie which is to open a doore to all carnall and bruitish Epicurisme and to confound man and beast together Others doubt not of all but of some bookes and others not of some bookes but of some places of the holy Scripture But we see that Satan would haue Christ but to denie or doubt of one sentence and what Eues calling into question of one speach of God brought on all our necks all we her posteritie feele And it is in our natures when God speakes plainely against that sinne we make ifs and peraduentures at it and so turne it off As for example 1. Our Sauiour teacheth plainly that whosoeuer are of God heare his word and his sheepe heare his voice Either men must beleeue it or denie it and yet how few can we perswade conscionably to heare the word all who must plainely either make the voice of Christ false or themselues none of Gods none of Christs sheepe for not hearing it 2. Our Sauiour saith expressely He that heareth you heareth me Luk. 10.16 and that God speakes in the mouthes of his Ministers 2. Cor. 5.20 and that they haue an heauenly treasure in earthen vessels But how fewe are of this minde neuer did any heathens so despise the voice of their Priests and the answer of their Oracles as Christians in generall despise our voice in which God and Christ professe they speake 3. Christ plainely saith this word is the immortall seed of our new birth the sincere milke to nourish the soule the bread of life heauenly food But who beleeue him for generally men haue no appetite no desire to it and can well be content to let their soules languish in grace and be staruen to death And whereas they would goe as farre or farther into other countries as Iacob and his sonnes into Egypt when there was no corne in Canaan to supply their bodies with food this they will not stirre out of their doores for Well take heed of calling diuine truths into question stand not in them vpon thy reason and vnderstanding which are but low and shallow suspect them in things thou canst not reach rather then the truth of Scripture and make good vse of these rules 1. In the rising of any such temptation know that Satan seekes aduantage against thee and would bring thee into the same condemnation with himselfe by the same sinne and malice against God If he durst thwart so diuine a truth so strengthned from heauen and that to Christs owne face he dares and will contradict Gods word to thee 2. Consider if thou sufferest Satan to wrest away the credit of any part of diuine truth or the word of God what shall become of all our religion and the ground of our saluation all which is laid vpon the truth of the word of all which our Sauiour saith that not one iot of it shall faile 3. Know that by yeelding a little to Satan herein God in his iustice may giue thee vp to such strong delusions as the deuill himselfe cannot be so besotted as to beleeue See it in some instances Satan beleeues there is a God and trembleth saith S. Iames and yet he so farre deludes a number as their sottish hearts say There is no God Psal. 14.1 Satan knowes there is a day of reckoning and

so to doe for shall Satan dare to renew so many temptations against our Lord and will he spare any of his members Here is a ground of comfort for Gods people who when temptations come thicke vpon them are often dismayed as though God had forsaken them and so grow weary of resistance yea and not sieldome they grow into words of impatiency Neuer were any so molested as they Good Dauid said once This is my death and all men are lyars euen all Gods Prophets that told him he should be King there was no way but one he must one day fall by the hand of Saul But be of good comfort and possesse thy soule with patience for 1. No temptation takes thee but such as befalleth man 1. Cor. 10.13 and the same afflictions are accomplished in thy brethren which are in the world 1. Pet. 5.9 2. Thou hast the naturall Sonne of God most restlesly assalted by the deuil and pursued with all kindes of temptation to sanctifie all kinds of temptation to thee And herein thou art not onely conformable to the Saints of greatest grace but euen to thy Lord and Head 3. The more assalted thou art the surer argument it is thou art not yet in Satans power but he would winne thee Thou hast more cause to feare if all be quiet with thee When an enemy hath wonne a citie he assaults and batters it no more but fortifies it for himselfe If the strong man haue possession all is at peace but if there be any resistance neuer so weake he hath not wonne all Therefore resist still stand thy ground and faint not and if thou doest any time faint desire to resist still and thou still resistest See here an expresse image of the deuill in wicked men who are restlesse in their wickednesse no child so like the father as they like their father the deuill in this propertie Their feete runne to euill and they make hast to blood Pro. 1.16 yea they are so restlesse that they cannot sleepe till they haue done some mischeife c. 4. v. 16. and the more they be resisted and opposed the further are they from desisting but growe more violent as Satan here See this restlesse disposition in the wicked Sodomites they came about the house of Lot to abuse the Angells they cannot sleepe till they haue done their villanny they are all the night about it when Lot perswades them to desist they are further off and more violent now must Lot take heed to himselfe when the Lord from heauen strikes them small and great with blindnes and resists them yet they will not giue ouer but sought the doore still The like restlesnes we note in the Iewes the wicked enemies of Christ who were so thirsty of his blood and nothing else could serue them and no meanes could hinder them but they consult in their hall how they may apprehend him they send out in the night to apprehend him beeing come to catch him he with a word strucke them all to the ground yet they goe on hauing apprehended him they keep him all night in Caiaphas his hall and at the breake of the day Caiaphas the high Priest the Elders Scribes and Pharises held a solemne Councell to put him to death And when his gracious words confounded them and they saw his innocencie shine out when they heard the Iudge clearing him and saw him wash his hands from his blood yet they grew more violent and called his blood vpon them and their children for euer Exod. 32.6 when the Israelites would sacrifice to the golden calfe they rose vp early in the morning Wee shall euer see wicked men in their wicked courses make more hast then good speed and the more opposed the more violent Aaron durst not resist them How restlesse was Iudas till he betrayed his Lord and earned that price of blood both his Lords and his owne and how farre was he from desisting notwithstanding the gracious meanes hee had to hinder him There are three speciall things wherein men doe most expresly imitate Satan and manifest his image vpon themselues 1. In incessant malice against God and his children Satan was a manslayer from the beginning and so in the beginning was his sonne Cain who hated his brother and slew him because his workes were good and his owne euill 1. Ioh. 3.12 Of this progenie were the cursed Iewes that went about to kill Christ Ioh. 8. and all those that hate and maligne the children of God 2. In slandering and false accusing for Satan is called the accuser of the brethren and so are they 2. Tim. 3.3 Calumniation is the constitutiue forme of Satan and the Iewes had an expresse image of it vpon them Matth. 26.60 How doe they compasse their malice against Christ thus they sought false witnesse and thereby played the deuills first they desired to haue two witnesses but they would not serue then two more but they also would not serue and marke by the way it seemes they examined them apart at last some came that accorded and vpon their word they condemned Christ. All the while they will seeme to take a course of law iustice and equity but all is but a colour 1. Though according to their plot they must put Christ to death vniustly yet themselues doe not deuise slanders but only are willing that any should come in and speake against him in somwhat they will haue two witnesses it was enough for Magistrats to receiue witnesse not to be iudges and accusers themselues Besides this they will not deale vnderhand but haue witnesses and witnesses that must agree and they aske him what he answereth to them and all in publike to shew that they did not deuise slanders in corners but dealt as men that would iustifie their proceedings and stand to their doings Yet for all these faire and colourable pretences their plot is to pronounce the sentence of condemnation vpon him 3. In boldnes and impudency in sinne no age nor ours want numbers of examples of wicked persons sold ouer to sinne who are as naturally carried to wickednes as sparkes to flie vpwards and as busie as bees in contriuing their wicked purposes night and day is too little to spend in the confusion of their lusts As violently are they carried into their riots drunken matches adulterous and filthy meetings murtherous and reuengefull plots cursed and blasphemous oathes rotten and poysonfull language wicked and diabolicall courses as the swine were hurried by the deuills into the lake And if deuills were incarnate and should put on mens shapes we cannot deuise how they could otherwise carrie themselues more to corrupt humane society and more to heap vp their owne and others damnation And let the Magistrates or Minister vse meanes to reclaime or if that be hopelesse to restraine and hinder their malice Oh they are so farre from giuing vp their courses as they rage and storme so much the more they will not be so wronged as be at